Gentle trades Defense for Sp. Defense. Losing physical bulk is rough for a wall, so this only works on Pokemon that already have high Defense or rarely take physical hits. In Legends: Z-A, You'll see it on Chesnaught, Altaria, Glalie among others. Defensive Tera types pair well with Gentle. Dropping a weakness and gaining Sp. Defense makes walls much harder to break.
Gentle raises Sp. Defense by 10% and lowers Defense by 10%. Specially defensive Pokemon balancing both defense stats. 8 Pokemon competitively run this nature.
| # | Pokemon | Tier | Role | Ability | +SpD | -Def | Spe |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Chesnaught GRASSFIGHTING | B | Utility | Overgrow | 75+12 | 122-15 | 64 |
| 2 |  Altaria DRAGON | B | Bulky Support | Natural Cure | 105+15 | 90-11 | 80 |
| 3 |  Glalie ICE | C | Bulky Support | Moody | 80+13 | 80-10 | 80 |
| 4 |  Espurr PSYCHIC | C | Bulky Support | Keeneye | 60+11 | 54-8 | 68 |
| 5 |  Machoke FIGHTING | C | Physical Tank | Guts | 60+11 | 70-9 | 45 |
| 6 |  Roselia GRASSPOISON | C | Bulky Support | Poison Point | 80+13 | 45-7 | 65 |
| 7 |  Eevee NORMAL | D | Bulky Support | Adaptability | 65+11 | 50-7 | 55 |
| 8 |  Trubbish POISON | D | Bulky Support | Stench | 62+11 | 62-9 | 65 |
Chesnaught
GRASS FIGHTING
Role
UtilityAbility
Overgrow+SpD
75 +12Spe
64Altaria
DRAGON
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Natural Cure+SpD
105 +15Spe
80Glalie
ICE
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Moody+SpD
80 +13Spe
80Espurr
PSYCHIC
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Keeneye+SpD
60 +11Spe
68Machoke
FIGHTING
Role
Physical TankAbility
Guts+SpD
60 +11Spe
45Roselia
GRASS POISON
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Poison Point+SpD
80 +13Spe
65Eevee
NORMAL
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Adaptability+SpD
65 +11Spe
55Trubbish
POISON
Role
Bulky SupportAbility
Stench+SpD
62 +11Spe
65+10%Sp. Defense
-10%Defense
Flavor Preference
Likes Bitter, dislikes Sour
Competitive Role
Specially defensive Pokemon balancing both defense stats.
Gentle vs Calm
Choose Gentle
+Sp. Defense / -Defense
- Pokemon that need to check physical threats (use +Def)
- Pokemon that need to check special threats (use +SpD)
- Walls and tanks that rarely attack
Choose Calm
+Sp. Defense / -Attack
- Defensive Pokemon that still need attacking power
- Pokemon that run both physical and special moves
How to Get
SynchronizeLead with a Gentle Pokemon that has the Synchronize ability. Wild Pokemon will match its nature. (Gen 3+)
BreedingGive the parent with Gentle nature an Everstone. The offspring will inherit it. (100% since Gen 5)
Nature MintUse a Gentle Mint to change stat effects to Gentle. The original nature name stays but stats change. (Gen 8+)
Other +Sp. Defense Natures
What does the Gentle nature do in Pokemon?
It's a +10% Sp. Defense, -10% Defense nature. The 10% multiplier applies after base stats and EVs, so the actual point difference grows as stats get higher. Pokemon with Gentle nature prefer Bitter flavor and dislike Sour.
What are the best Gentle nature Pokemon?
Chesnaught, Altaria, Glalie, and Espurr are among the strongest Gentle picks. What they share is a reliance on Sp. Defense and little need for Defense. Check the tier list for current rankings.
Is Gentle a good nature for competitive Pokemon?
Yes. It fills a solid niche for defensive builds. You'll see Gentle on dedicated Sp. Defense-focused builds across most tiers and formats.
How do I get a Gentle nature Pokemon?
Three options: (1) Synchronize lead forces wild Pokemon to match your lead's nature. (2) Everstone breeding passes the nature 100% of the time since Gen 5. (3) a Gentle Mint changes the stat effects after the fact. Mints don't change the nature name, just the stat modifiers.
Should I use Gentle or Calm?
It depends on what your team needs. Gentle is the mixed special tank option. Calm is the dedicated special wall option. Most of the time, your Pokemon's moveset and role make the decision obvious.